The 59th episode of the NHK Asadora drama "Omusubi " starring Kanna Hashimoto was broadcast on December 19th. At the end of the episode, Shoya (played by Hayato Sano), who was feeling pain in his right shoulder, collapsed after pitching a ball, which attracted the attention of viewers.
In episode 57 (broadcast on December 17), Shoya, who felt something strange in his right shoulder, timidly picked up a book about injuries and rehabilitation for athletes. Upon researching the symptoms, he was shocked to learn that it was a "shoulder labrum injury," in which the attachment of the labrum in the shoulder joint comes off, and that it will never heal completely on its own.
In the 58th episode (broadcast on December 18th), when Shoya was asked by his teammate Kotaro (Ohara Yuki) on the Seikawa Electric baseball team, "You hurt your shoulder, don't you?", Shoya replied, "I'm terrified of being told I'll never be able to play baseball again," revealing his feelings of not being able to go to the hospital.
At the end of the 59th episode, Shoya is challenged by rookie Okawachi (Shoki Nakayama) to a one-turn at-bat contest. Shoya tries to throw his specialty curveball, the Yong-seam, but at that moment, manager Nakamura (Yasushi Shimao) shouts, "Don't throw! Yotsugi!"
Okawachi, who hit Shoya's pitch, asked, "Hey! Why didn't you throw a Yong-seam? Are you underestimating me?", but Shoya distorted his face, held his right shoulder, groaned, and crouched on the spot.
On social media, there were many voices expressing concern for Shoya, such as "What will happen to Shoya's baseball career?", "Shoya can finally go to the hospital...", "I'm worried that this pitch will be fatal", "I hope he recovers both physically and mentally and becomes a professional", and "I wanted him to realize that he had reached his limit after only one at-bat."
